The Metropolitan Museum of Art
One of the great encyclopaedic museums on earth — 5,000 years of art over a Central Park city-block.
The call
Worth it if you are watching the budget and you only have one day.
Why
- 01
Genuinely world-class and genuinely endless: you could spend a week and not finish.
Our read - 02
The trick is to pick three wings and let the rest go, or you'll hit gallery fatigue by the Egyptian temple.
Our read - 03
The collection spans 5,000 years of art across two million square feet, from the full-scale Temple of Dendur to 2,500 European Old Masters — encyclopedic in a way few museums on earth match.
timeout.com - 04
Beyond the headline galleries there's a Rooftop Garden with skyline-and-park views and 29 immersive period rooms — the kind of detours that reward repeat visits.
timeout.com
Is it a fit?
Go if
This is your first trip to New York
Go in with a shortlist; the sheer scale humbles people who arrive planning to see 'everything.' Budget at least a few hours.
You are watching the budget
The Metropolitan Museum of Art earns the spend, even on a tight budget.
You only have one day
Short trip or not, keep The Metropolitan Museum of Art.
You are traveling with kids
With kids, The Metropolitan Museum of Art is an easy yes.
Think twice if
The main downside would spoil the experience
The trick is to pick three wings and let the rest go, or you'll hit gallery fatigue by the Egyptian temple.
Plan it well
- Cost
- $30 (free for NY State residents)
- Timing
- Weekday mornings at 10am opening, or Friday/Saturday evenings (open till 9pm) for thinner crowds.
- Booking
- Adults $30, seniors $22, students $17, under-12 free; NY State residents and NY/NJ/CT students pay what they wish.
- Allow
- Half day
- Accessibility
- Wheelchair accessible; admission includes same-day entry to both Met locations.
- Getting there
- 1000 Fifth Avenue at 82nd St (4/5/6 to 86 St). Ticket also covers The Met Cloisters in Fort Tryon Park same day.